Firewood is
rated as
Hardwood or Softwood. Hardwoods tend to give more heat and less smoke
in
a long, hot burn; which equates to less Creosote, the culprit in many
chimney
fires. But if you enjoy cutting Firewood and loading the Wood Burner,
or
if you want to warm up the cabin in a hurry; then Softwoods may be just
right for you.

This is
about 1/3 of a Cord. Equal to 1/3
ton of coal in weight and heat output (about 8 Million BTU's)

It may be best to cut Firewood
when the trees have shed their leaves. Chances are that the sap has
migrated
down to the Roots. That should make it lighter to handle and
quicker to dry or "season".

Seasoned firewood develops checks
or splits which radiate out from the heart as hands on a clock.
Firewood
gathered one winter should be adequately seasoned and ready to burn the
following winter.

Be aware that longer pieces take
longer to season. Wood cells are like a bundle of random straws with
open
ends. It is from these cut ends that most drying takes place, rather
than
from the sides. So, removing the bark aids drying only minimally.

.These
Hardwoods are commonly available,
easy to split
and burn.Listed in
order of BTU output..

Species

BTU/cord(Millions)

Black
BirchBlue
Beech

26.8

Beech

24.0

White
Ash Yellow
Birch

23.6

Paper
Birch White
Birch

20.3

Black
Ash

19.1

These have a
hard-to-split nature

Hickory

27.7

White
Oak

25.7

Red
Oak

24.0

HardMaple

23.1

Fruit
Trees are not commonly available,
but may be found at many
homes.
20.0

BTU's: A cord of most Hardwoods
produces heat in the same range as a ton of coal(about 21 to 25 million BTU's).
Weight equates to BTU's more than volume does;
A pound of seasoned Hardwood
produces about the same BTU's as does Softwood.

Split wood
has more total surface
area to catch fire, so it burns quicker and hotter than unsplit
Firewood.
A Log may burn for a day or more, but if you split it into toothpicks,
it may burn in 10 minutes and release all of its BTU's quickly. It may
also stack tighter which would give more weight and consequently,
more BTU's per cord.

Healthy living trees produce compounds
which protect them from insect and Fungus damage, much as humans
develop
immunities. A cut, broken, or uprooted tree loses this protection and
is
soon attacked.Depending on
the species and
local conditions, a living tree can decompose (Compost)
in as little as
five years.

The left image
shows "Green"
firewood with tight bark, which was
recently cut and has not had time to
dry out (Season").The center
image shows well seasoned
firewood with its
characteristic radial checks, and loose bark.The right image
shows firewood
which has passed its prime, and should sell
for much less than the center
photo. It has been
attacked by bacteria or fungus that cause rapid deterioration, and can no
longer be sold at normal prices.